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Refurbing wheels at home
Guinness - 3/3/08 at 01:24 PM

I've found a set of wheels on ebay that I quite like the look of. They don't look too bad, but would need a refurb. Trouble is, if I take them to my usual place, I might as well buy new!

Has anyone had decent results doing it themselves? They don't need much more than a blast clean and a re-spray really.

Mike


Mr Whippy - 3/3/08 at 01:32 PM

I've tried using spray cans in the past, a bit rubbish to be honest, never seemed to last long.


RazMan - 3/3/08 at 01:39 PM

I've done this with some success

If you can get them bead blasted that is the major part of the work done. Then fill in any major dings with metal loaded epoxy, prime with a good acid etch primer, a couple of coats of wheel silver (or whatever you choose) topped off with a couple of coats of 2 pack laquer.


muzchap - 3/3/08 at 02:01 PM

As RazMan says

That's what people have done for me and still look good

M


Mr Whippy - 3/3/08 at 02:08 PM

hmm maybe it was the white paint I used, white wheels suck for keeping cleen


JimSpencer - 3/3/08 at 02:39 PM

Hi

Done a few sets myself.

Used paint stripper and then a brass wire brush, drill powered and then by hand for the fiddly bits, to clean then up.

Re- painted using Hammerite Smooth spray cans in Silver (this is identical in colour to the original)

Been very happy indeed with the results and they've stayed in good nick too.


DarrenW - 3/3/08 at 03:39 PM

I refurbed my first set myself. dont fancy doing it again. Original coating was a bugger to remove. I had them blasted but it was a bit harsh so they took ages to flat back. I etchprimed, high build primed and topcoated followed by lacquer. End result was OK ish but not particularly durable.

Romax did my BMW wheels. £40 a corner rings a bell. Fantastic job. Might get a discount if they dont have tyres on.


alexdj125 - 3/3/08 at 04:02 PM

I bought some battered white team dynamics alloys which I refurbed myself. I just cleaned them, gave them a going over with wet and dry, filled all the scratches, primed and painted them with matt black from a can and it worked really well! The hardest part was pusing the tyre bead off each side!


dave r - 3/3/08 at 04:22 PM

have just blasted a set of ford wheels for mine

never again

will etch prme and paint these but it realy isnt worth the work unless you have a tame shotblast that dont charge too much
dave


Mr Whippy - 3/3/08 at 04:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by alexdj125
The hardest part was pusing the tyre bead off each side!


I've never managed that, ended up setting fire to the tyre to burn it off! (steel rim) what a lot of smoke


Humbug - 3/3/08 at 05:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
quote:
Originally posted by alexdj125
The hardest part was pusing the tyre bead off each side!


I've never managed that, ended up setting fire to the tyre to burn it off! (steel rim) what a lot of smoke


Probably would have been less hassle to use an angry grinder - cut a section of tyre out then carefully grind down the bead


RazMan - 3/3/08 at 06:15 PM

.... or better still whip it down to your local tyre fitter and get it taken off in 10 seconds for a drink


alexdj125 - 3/3/08 at 08:38 PM

Well i would have burnt them off or cut them off but the tyres were fairly new! I just used nearly every tool in my garage as a lever! Couldnt really go to a tyre place either as then I would have had to drive back on the rims! haha, didnt have any alternative transport at the time!


owelly - 3/3/08 at 09:17 PM

Car jack under car with tyre/wheel underneath the jack. That usually shifts them!


rusty nuts - 4/3/08 at 07:34 PM

Anyone used one of those D.I.Y powder coating tool for wheels? Will powder coating stick to ally wheels? plenty of colours available as well


MikeRJ - 5/3/08 at 07:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
Anyone used one of those D.I.Y powder coating tool for wheels? Will powder coating stick to ally wheels? plenty of colours available as well


You'd need to be very careful how you heated the alloy! The structure of typical alloys can change at surprisingly low temperatures, making them brittle.


rusty nuts - 5/3/08 at 07:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
Anyone used one of those D.I.Y powder coating tool for wheels? Will powder coating stick to ally wheels? plenty of colours available as well


You'd need to be very careful how you heated the alloy! The structure of typical alloys can change at surprisingly low temperatures, making them brittle.



From what I've read the temperatures don't need to be very high to use plastic coating, possibly no hotter than a spray booth although I have no experience of either .


jollygreengiant - 5/3/08 at 08:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
Anyone used one of those D.I.Y powder coating tool for wheels? Will powder coating stick to ally wheels? plenty of colours available as well


You'd need to be very careful how you heated the alloy! The structure of typical alloys can change at surprisingly low temperatures, making them brittle.



From what I've read the temperatures don't need to be very high to use plastic coating, possibly no hotter than a spray booth although I have no experience of either .


Spray booths must be ok or we would have a lot of dangerous cars out there.